PLANNING chiefs have denied claims that green belt land is being squandered on building new homes in Coventry and Warwickshire.

The West Midlands Regional Assembly has defended plans to build thousands of houses in the region by 2026.

Plans include 33,500 more homes in Coventry and 10,800 in the Warwick district - which should help the government meet a national housing shortage.

The assembly - as regional planning body for the West Midlands - has given its continued commitment to the scheme despite opposition from campaigners.

The Campaign to Protect Rural England attacked the plans and has been calling for local people to take a stand against using green belt land.

Assembly chief executive Olwen Dutton said: "CPRE are well aware that the assembly stands very firmly behind the principles of the greenbelt. However, in developing the strategy in liaison with our partner authorities across the region, it became clear that in a limited number of cases, it would be sensible to allow for some small local adjustment of green belt boundaries if housing needs are to be met in the most sustainable way."